Grandmother’s Rocking Chair
College Cottage scored a new piece!
My Grandmother gave me this chair. I just love it. It came from the Tygart House in (Nashville, Ga), which means that my Greats and Great-Greats used it to rock there babies with this tool.
It is a family heirloom. Promised before God and family members to love it and care for it and never sell or give it away, my vow was made.
Without the spindles of a typical rocking chair and with the heavy, dark wood it seems substantial, sturdy, and timeless. When you sit on it to rock you can feel the years of love and motherhood, and the many sleepless nights when the chair creeks while it sways back and while it sways forward. Thoughts of years past and years forward can not help but drift through your mind, dancing, lingering and weighing like a fog. I think of the mothers before me and have visions of Beatrice someday rocking her children and her grandchildren. Wow. How profound.
I am not fond of the re-upholstery job that someone had done to it. So, I am looking for fabric to have it “re-done.” I am not good with this sort of thing. Have any suggestions?
Or should I paint it? I really like how the shelves and the red & white chair are spunky and modern, yet I don’t want to damage the rocking chair. Oh, oh. Decisions. Decisions. What should I do?
I do not know much about rockers, either. Beyond knowing that it is an antique, I do not know if this is a Boston, a Salem, etc. Nor, do I have any idea how old it is. Do you? The seat has springs in it, which seems unusual. I do not know if that is original or if someone opted to make it really comfy.
The chair is my good find for the month, well the year for that matter. It makes me smile to look at it and glow to rock in it.
Yay, little rocking chair. You have found a new home. We are going to love you!
I love this chair! Actually i like most antiques. I dont think you should re-paint it. I always think that down the line, when someone else gets it at least it is a pain to sand all the old different paints down. I would defintely recover it or just take it in to a trusted antique shop and see what they think. If I were you I would try and find what it originally looked like and try and get it back to that form. Its good to mold antiques to our needs at the time but sometimes you can lose the integrity of the piece. It is a great chair though.
Stephanie
January 25, 2008 at 10:16 am
Hey Moke! I love the chair, too. And, I really want to paint it. But, like you said, it’s probably not a good idea – especially since it is not just an antique, but a family antique with lots of emotional value you. I miss you and Bella!
christygriner
January 27, 2008 at 11:59 am